Ball-bearing injector



Feb. 16, 1943. v s. REESVEITAL 2,311,251

BALL BEARING INJECTOR Filed June 2. 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 T m /3 i s 5. /P6 b. 5. 2005c. J F. OZJf/V. 6 7 I Mild/O77.

I INVENTOR.

a M v 4. a] )QrrOR Y- Feb. 16, 1943. s. E. REES ETAL BALL BEARING INJECTOR 4 Sheets- Sheet 2 Filed June 2, 1941 v 5.519555. HEJP/MMC/r. J. F. OAGf/V.

Feb. 16, 1943.

s. E. REES ET AL BALL BEARING INJECTOR '4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 2, 1941 q 5M 4. 2 .mv a? E C M m .0 0 8 fimmwm H l M "w FLASUE w p 7 5 5 a @A Wfl W a w M ,M. a 00 im J I i ill 7 fl luv H H 0 Feb. 16, 1943. s. E. REES ET AL BALL BEARING INJECTOR Filed June 2, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

ieiented Feb. 16, 1943 2,311,251 BALL-BEARING INJECTOR Shropshire Ernest Rees, Henry E. Radack, John F. Olsen, and Charles H. Elliott, Houston, Tex., assignors to Reed Roller Bit Company, Houston,

Tex, a'corporation of Texas Application June 2, 1941, Serial No.' 396,346

(Cl. 2H4) 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a counting and feeding mechanism and has for its general object the provision of a mechanism for counting out a prectermined number of balls or the likeand feeding them into place in a hearing or other location where they are to be used.

Various types of machines have heretofore been devised for counting out predetermined numbers of balls, pellets or the like and for guiding them, usually under a gravity feed, to the position where they are to be used. However, under certain circumstances the position where the balls or the like are to be employed is not such that they will readily flow into position. This is true in connection with the injection of balls or the like in certain types of antifriction bearings. v

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a device for counting and feeding balls or the like, which device will not only count and feed such articles. but will efficiently move them into the position they are to occupy in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device for counting anti-friction members and feeding them positively into place in an anti friction bearing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device for counting out a predetermined num- Another object of this invention is to provide a device for forcing balls or other anti-friction members into place within an anti-friction bearing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character just referred to in which fluid under pressure is employed for the purpose of forcing the anti-friction members into place within the bearing.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein are illustrated two embodiments of this invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical cross section illustrating the device constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in vertical cross section with the lower portion broken away showing the same device;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross section of the ball counting and feeding portion of the device illustrating the same in inactive position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the parts in the position they occupy just after the balls have been counted out and just before they are fed into place in the bearing in which they are to 'be used;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Figs. 3 and 4 but illustrating the parts in the position they occupy while the balls are being fed into the-bearing or other structure where they are to be used;

'Fig. 6 is a still further enlarged vertical cross section illustrating the mechanism-for feeding the balls and for controlling the actuation of fluid pressure to force the balls into place, the

same being illustrated as they are about to come into cooperative engagement with a bearing to which the balls are to be fed;

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross section illustrating the parts shown in Fig. 6 in cooperative relation with a bearing into which the balls are to be fed, all parts being shown in vertical cross section; 1

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical cross section taken along the plane at right angles to that at the lower end of Fig. '7 and illustrating the cooperation between the lower end of the feeding mechanism and the bearing to which'the balls are to be fed;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing a slightly modified form of mechanism for feeding the fluid pressure to the balls;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal cross ection of the device shown in- Fig. 9 taken along the line Iii-i0 thereof;

Fig. 11 is a View similar to Fig. 9 but showing the parts in the position they occupy when fluid is being applied to the balls to force them into position; J

Fig. 12 is an enlarged view showing a side elevation of a portion of the ball-counting. mechanism and illustrating the manner of operation thereof;

Fig. 13 is-likewise an elevation of the same structure as shown in Fig. 12 but taken at right angles to Fig. 12. p

This machine is illustrated as mounted on a base plate l by means of bolts or studs2. ,The studs hold down a ring 3 which is internally threaded to receive the lower end of a tubular standard 4.

Also mounted on the base plate I is a bracket 5 to which is pivotally connected one end of the operating pedal 6. This pedal 6 is adapted to be depressed by the operators foot and a tread member I is secured to the free end of the lever for engagement by the operators foot. The lever 5 extends through slots 8 and 9 in the tubular standard 4, and within the tubular standard is pivotally connected at III to a pull rod II that extends upwardly through the tubular standard. The upper end of this pull rodis pivoted at I2 to a lever I3 which likewise extends through slots I4 and I5 in the standard. The lever I3 is pivotallymounted on a bracket I8 on the standard as shown at H. The free end of the lever I3 is bifurcated as-shown at I8 for a purpose to presently be described. Ad-

jacent its free end there is connected to the lever B and the lever I3 in their upper position as shown inFig. 1.

Adjacent the upper end of the standard 4 I there is welded thereto a tubular bracket 22 which extends forwardly in substantially the same plane as the levers 8 and I3 and the chain I9. The chain I9 may be passed through opensubstantially horizontally from the upright standard 4 and at it outer end is welded or otherwise suitably secured to a short tubular member 24 which is disposed with its axis vertical.

Adapted to fit into the member 24 and to be held therein by a set screw 25' is a bushing 25 having an outwardly extending flange 21 at its upper end which limits its downward movement into the member 26. A hopper 28, which is funnel-shaped at it lower end, has its lower end disposed within the bushing 21 and welded in place therein as shown at 29. The lower end of this hopper 28 has an opening therein which is of sufilcient size to receive the upper end of the tubular ball conveyor 30. The tubular ball conveyor 36 is guided into the lower end of the hopper 28 by means of a head 3| and a bushing 32 passing through the head. The tubular conveyor is mounted to reciprocate in the direction of its axis a clearly illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5..

Below the bracket 22 there is mounted on the standard 4 a pair of substantially horizontal plates 33 and 36,- These plates carry the upper and lower ends respectively of a pair of cylindrical guides 35. Surrounding each of the guides 35 is a tubular slide 36 having bushings 3! in the opposite ends thereof for forming a snug sliding fit on the guides. The bushings 31 may be secured in place by any suitable means, such as threading or welding or by a press fit. Secured to the tubular guides 36 respectively and extending toward each other at an angle are a pair of bracket plates 39. These plates are bent to form parallel terminals at their outer free ends and are secured by means of bolts 40 or the like to a valve block 4I. Intermediate their endsand extending substantially horizontally is a transverse shaft 42 having its ends mounted in lugs 43, welded to the inner surfaces of the plates 39 at 44. shaft 42 intermediate the lugs 43 and the bifurcated end I8 of the lever I3 engages around this bushing 45.

It will be readily seen that as the lever is A bushing 45 surrounds the moved downwardly by foot pressure on the throttle I the slides 33 will be caused to slide downwardly on the guides 35 and will carry with themthe bracket formed by the plates 39 and also the valve block 4I. When the throttle I is released, the counterweight 2I will raise the levers 5 and I3 and will thereby serve also to move upwardly the slides 36, the bracket formed by the plates 39, and the valve block 4|.

The tubular conveyor 30 is threadedly connected at its lower end to the valve block H as illustrated 'at 46. This conveyor is provided with a slot 41 in its front surface which slot is just slightly below the bracket 22 when the tubular conveyor is in its uppermost position, this slot being for the purpose of enabling the operator to visually determine that the conveyor is at all times filled'with balls so that there will be suilicient balls'in place to be counted out for placement in each bearing.

On the back side of the tubular member it is provided with a second longitudinal slot 48 which is adapted to receive the retractible stop member 49, this stop member serving to divide a predetermined number of balls in the lower end of the conveyor tube from the remainder of the balls thereabove. The stop member 49' is slidably mounted in a-tubular member 50 which in turn is adjustable upwardly and downwardly on the tubular conveyor 30 and is intended to be secured in any given position by means of set screws 5|. The tubular member 50 is prevented from rotation on the conveyor 30 by means of a set screw 52 that has a part projecting into the slot 48. The tubular member 50 adjacent its lower end is provided with a bracket-like part 53 on which is pivotally mounted the lower end of a lever 53 a shown at 55. This lever carries the pivot 55 and the pivot 55 is spring-pressed toward the tubular conveyor by means of a spring 56 likewise carried by the bracket 53. The pivot 55 may, however, move in a direction away from the conveyor 30 under suiflcient stress.

The stop I39 is normally held outwardly so as not to interrupt the passage of balls through the conveyor 30, being so held by mean of a spring 57. However, it is adapted to be moved inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4 by an inward pivotal movement of the lever 53-. Such movement is caused by the action of the roller 59 on the upper end of said lever as it rolls over the edge of a cam plate 59. This cam plate has an upper edge portion 50, which is substantially vertical, andwhen the wheel 58 is rolling over this portion the stop 39 will be in a position in which it will not interrupt passage of balls through the conveyor'3ll. However, as the tubular conveyor 30 is moved downwardly the wheel '53 will roll up on the lower straight portion SI of the cam plate and when on this portion it will serve to move the stop 49 into the path of the balls and interrupt their downward flow.

The cam plate 59 may be mounted in any suitable manner, such as by engagement in a slot in the platev33 in which it is clamped by a clamp 62, and being supported at its lower end by a separate bracket 63 which is welded to the standard 4. The lower end of this cam plate may, if desired, be positioned to serve as a stop of the upward movement of the front end of the lever The valve block 4| on its lower side is provided with a hollow tubular portion 64 in which is slidably carried the upper end of a ball feeding nozzle 65. It will readily be seen that the balls pass from the'tubular' conveyor 30 through a tubular passage 66 in the valve block 4| and thence into the upper end of the nozzle 65. Se-

cured about the nozzle 65 below the tubular extension 64 is a collar 6'! against which presses a spring 68 which-normally urges the nozzle 65 downwardly with respect to the valve block. This downward movement is limited, however, by means of' a. slide 69 secured to the collar 61 at its lower end and passing upwardly through an opening in the valve block 4|. Thisslide 69 is slidable through the opening inthe valve block but has a head I at its upper end which limits its downward sliding movement.

66 in this valve block is a lower slidable stop II.

This stop has notches cut therein, which are adapted to counteract with inclined notches cut in the adjacent surface of the slide 59 as shown at I2 in Figs. 12 and 13. The slots in the stop II and the slide 69 are so arranged that when the slide is in its lowermost position, as it normally is, the stop II will be in a position to interrupt passage of balls through the passageway 66, but when the slide 69 moves upwardly the stop ii will be withdrawn to permit ,passage of such balls.

It will seen that as the valve block is moved downwardly by the action of the operators foot on the throttle l, the lower end of the nozzle 65 will come in contact with the work and its downward movement will be stopped. Thereupon, the further downward movement of the valve block M will compress the spring 68 and cause the retraction of the stop II so that the balls in the conveyor tube 30 may be fed to the work through the nozzle 65. However, during the downward movement of the valve block and the conveyor tube 90 the'wheel 58 will be operated on the cam plate 60 to move the upper stop 69 into position tointerrupt flow of balls through the tubular conveyor. This will measure oil? a number of balls between the lower stop I l which at that point-has not been retracted, and the upper stop 99. Then when the lower stop isretracted, as above described, the exact number of balls so measured off will be fed through the nozzle to the work.

The work is shown as being mounted upon a bracket I2 which is carried by thetubular slide 13 on the standard 9. The tubular slide may be adjusted to any vertical position and secured in place by a suitable clamping device I4.

At its free end the bracket I2 carries a tubular member I to the upper surface of which is welded or otherwise secured a work holding plate I6. Mounted inside of the tubular member 15 and adapted to project through the upper surface of the work holding plate 16 is a block" that may be adjusted upwardly or downwardly by means of a screw I8 and a knob 19. The screw 18 and knob I9 are carried by a head 80 bolted or otherwise secured to the tubular member I5 by screws 8|.

The upper portion of the block I'Pis hollow a illustrated for the purpose of receiving a further. adjustable work support 82, which has a pin 83 on its upper end to serve as a guide in positioning the work on the work holder.

The work for which the preferred embodiment has been designed consists of a bearing for a roller cutter of a drilling bit, such cutter being indicated at and the spindle therefor being indially into the ball race, which as shown is horia a suitable source of fluid pressure.

zontal. The axial position of the spindle 85 is determined by means ofthe pin 83 on the uide block 82. y the opening through which the balls are-to be passed isdetermined by means of a guide 86 located on the inner end of an arm 81 which is in .turn pivoted at 88 on an adjustable block 89 secured to the plate'I6 by a clamping screw 90.;

With the work so positioned, it is then clamped into position by means of a leverSI pivoted at 92 to a bracket 93 likewise carried on plate I6. The lever 9! is moved to its clamping position and locked in such position by means of an operating lever 94 pivoted at 95 to the same bracket 93 and having an intermediate point of its length connected to another intermediate point on thelever 9'! by means of a link 96. It will be seen in Fig. 2 that when the lever 96 is moved to its upright position, the lever 9! will be moved to its clamping position and locked there. The clamping action of this lever upon the spindle 85 isresilient by virtue of the spring 9'! which is readily down through the tubular conductor 30 and through the nozzle 65. However, when called upon to flow downwardly into thespindle 85 and then radially outwardly and then circumferentially in a horizontal plane, they do not flow readily under the influence of gravity but must be forced. Previously this forcing was accomplished by feeding the balls by hand.. By this device, however, there is provided a means by which the, balls may be fed by some fluid, such as air under pressure. The air for forcing the balls into place, as just stated, is adapted to enter the valve block 8! through a conduit 99 from This air entersthe chamber I00 in the valve block 4i and is ordinarily prevented from flowing through the valve block by means of a control valve IOI that is normally seated by a spring I02. This valve is adapted to be unseated however by means of a lever I03 pivoted at I00 to-a bracket I05 on the valve. block, a'movement of the upper end of the lever toward the valve block serving to. unseat the valve IM and permit'the passage'of air under pressure.

Also adapted to be moved by the lever I03 is a slide valve I06. The slide valve I06 is normally urged outwardly toward the lever I03 by a spring I01 and at its inner end is adapted to normally just clear the passage 66 through the valve block. When the lever I03 is pushed inwardly to unseat the valve IN, the slide valve I06 will also move -inwardly so,that its inner end projects into the passage 66 and interrupts the passage of any balls therethrough as well as closing the passage so as to direct air downwardly through passage 66. The slide I06 has a passageway I08 the inlet end of which is adapted to communicate with a passageway I09 in the valve block leadin r from the valve IOI and the outlet end ofwhich is adapted to open downwardly into the passa e under pressure will be injected downwardly into i the passage 66 and into the upper end-of the nozzle 65.

The circumferential position of Now, it will be seen that the nozzle 85 has a small eccentric passageway H parallel to its main passageway and that this smaller passageway communicates at its upper end at III with .the interior of the larger passageway and at its the column of balls in the nozzle 65 and a stream of air under pressure will be injected into the nozzle 65 just above the lowermost ball. This air under pressure behind the lowermost ball will force that ball into place within the bearing and around the raceway of the bearing to a position remote from the'inlet opening into-the raceway, thus making'room for the next succeeding ball. The next succeeding ball is forced in in the same manner, the entire column of balls being fed downwardly by their own weight and by the pressure of air on top of them, and the. lowermost ball being forcibly injected into its position.

In Figs. 9 to 11 inclusive a slightly modified form is shown. In this form the air is not conducted at all into the main passage through the valve body. Instead, it is conducted through a passageway H3 into the upper end of the small passageway H0 in the nozzle, the passageway,

sure in many instances has been found to be unnecessary on the upper end of the column of balls. The lower ball, however, is injected in the same manner as previously described.

The operation of the entire device is briefly as follows:

The operator, havingpplaced the work and H clamped it into position as described, depresses the foot pedal 1 thus moving the valve block ll with its assisting parts downwardly. As the valve block moves downwardly the wheel 58 moves over the cam plate 59 and at an appropriate point moves the stop 49 into active position within the passage through the tubular conductor 30. This stop has previously been adjusted on the conductor 3!) and clamped into position by the screws 5| so that when it is moved inwardly, as stated, it divides off the exact number of balls required between its position and the position of the lower stop II. Further, downward movement of the pedal 1 engages the lower end of the nozzle with the work, and still further downward movement of the pedal compresses the spring 68 and acts through the slide 69 to retract the stop ll and permit the balls between th stop H and the stop 49 to dropdownwardly toward the lower end of the nozzle. When the conductor 30 is thus in its lowermost position, it will be filled from its upper end by balls entering from the shown in Figs. 9 to 11 inclusive, the action is the r I i same .cept that no'air pressure is provided against the uppermost ball.

In the first mentioned form in which the pressure is exerted on top of the column of balls as well as against the lower ball, the pressure on the upper and lower ends of the columnof balls is. of course, equalized and there will be no sub-- stantial tendency for the balls to rise in the nozzle. However, if they should tend to be lifted by the pressure on the bottom ball in the form shown in Figs. 9 to 11 inclusive, the slide i" will prevent them from so rising. This slide will also prevent" any balls from dropping in the nozzle if anything should happen to the stop 49 to prevent it from functioning.

In actual practice it has been found that the arrangement herein described provides an efllcient means of placing balls or the like in the position in which they are to be used.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. In an apparatus for inserting anti-friction members in'a bearing race through a passageway. a vertically reciprocable assemblage for feeding anti-friction members comprising a body having a channel for the passage of anti-friction members, a delivery tube communicating with the'delivery end of said channel for' delivering said -members to said passageway, a stop movable into under pressure into the discharge tube above anti-friction members thereinto force said members through saidpassageway, and means for bypassing a portion of said fluid and applying it to members discharging from the discharge tube to facilitate their displacement through said passageway into the race.

2. In an apparatus for inserting "anti-friction members in a bearing race through a passageway. a vertically reciprocable assemblage for. feeding anti-friction member comprising a body having a channel for the passage of anti-friction members, the delivery end of said channel terminating in a socket, delivery tube axially slidably mounted in said socket for delivering members to-said passageway, a stop displaceable into said channel for preventing the entry of anti friction members therethrough and retractible to permit entry of said members into the delivery tube, means operable upon displacement of the delivery tube into said socket to retract said stop, and means for introducinga fluid under pressure into said delivery tube to force anti-friction members from the discharge end of the delivery tube through said passageway.

3. In an apparatus for inserting anti-friction members in a bearin race through a passageway, a vertically reciprocable assemblage for feeding anti-friction members comprising a. body having a channel for the passage of anti-friction members, the, delivery end of said channel terminating in a socket, a delivery tube axially 'slidably mounted in said socket for delivering members to said passageway, a stop displaceable intov said channel for preventing the entry of anti-friction members therein and retractible to permit entry of said members into the delivery tube, and means operable upon displacement of the delivery tube into said socket to retract said stop, said delivery tube having a duct extending longitudinally thereof through the wall of said tube, said duct communicating with the interior of the tube adjacent the discharge end thereof, and terminating in a port in the exterior wall of the tube within said socket, said socket having a port therein communicating with a fluid under pressure and adapted to register with the port in the I delivery tube upon displacement of the delivery tube into said socket to enable fluid under pressure to force said members from the discharge endof the delivery tube through said passageway. 4

4. In an apparatus for inserting anti-friction members in a bearing race through a passageway, a vertically reciprocable assemblage for feeding anti-friction members comprising a body having a channel for the passage of anti-friction members, the delivery end of said channel terminating in a socket, a delivery tube axially slidably mounted in said socket for delivering memreceiving end thereof to force the balls to' the discharge end thereof, and means for introducing a' jet of fluid under pressure into the tube in a direction transversely of the. tubeat a point just above a ball about to be discharged from the bers to said passageway, a stop displaceable into said channel for preventing the entry of antifriction members therein and retractible to per;- mit entry of said members into the delivery tube, means operable upon displacement of the delivery tube into said socket to retract said stop, said delivery tube having a duct extending longitudinally thereof through the wall or said tube, said duct communicating with the interior of the tube adjacentthe discharge end thereof, and terminating in a port in the exterior wall of the tube within said socket, said socket having a port therein communicating with a fluid under pressure and adapted to register with the port in-the delivery tube upon displacement of the delivery tube into said socket to enable fluid under pressure to force said members from the discharge end of the delivery tube through said passageway, a valve for controlling the flow of fluid throughv said-ports and duct, a slide displaceable into said channel, and means operable upon opening of said valve for projecting said slide into said channel to-prevent displacement of said,

members up through said channel.

' 5. In an apparatus for inserting anti-friction members in a bearing race through a passageway, a vertically reciprocable assemblage for feeding anti-friction members comprising a body having a channel for the passage of anti-friction members, the delivery end of said channel terminating in a socket, a delivery tub axially slidably mounted in said socket for delivering mem-- bers to said passageway, a stop displaceable into said channel for preventing the entry of antifriction members therein and retractible to permit entry of said members into the delivery tube, means operable upon displacement of the delivery tube into said socket to retract said stop,

means for introducing a fluid under pressure into tube, so as to create a momentary action on said ball and the immediately adjacent ball in opposite directions to separate the balls and to 1mpart a rapid impulse to said ball about to be discharged as it leaves the tube to individually deliver said discharged ball into position in the race.

7. An apparatus 'for inserting anti-friction balls in a bearing race through a'passageway comprising a. tube for feeding anti-friction balls into said passageway, means for forcing the balls to the discharge end of the tube, means for introducing a jet of fluid under pressure into the tube in a direction transversely of the tube at a point just above a ball about to be discharged from the tube, so as to create a. momentary action on said ball and the immediately adjacent ball in opposite directions to separate the balls and to impart a rapid impulse to said ball about to be discharged as it leaves the tube to individually deliver said discharged ball into position in the race.

8. An apparatus for inserting anti-friction balls in a bearing race through a passageway comprising a tube for feeding anti-friction balls said delivery tube to force anti-friction members 7 into said passageway, means for introducing a fluid under pressure into the tube adjacent the receiving end thereof to force the balls to the discharge end thereof, a duct communicating with the pper portion of said tube and extending to and communicating with the lower portionof said tube for introducing a jet of fluid under pressure into the tube in a direction transversely of the tube at a point just above a ball about to be discharged from the tube, so as to create a momentary action on said ball and the immediately adjacent ball in opposite directions to separate the balls and to impart a rapid impulse to said ball about to be discharged as it leaves the tube to individually deliver said discharged ball into position in the race. 7 i SHROPSHIRE E. REES. HENRY E. RADACK. JOHN F. OLSEN. CHARLES I-I. ELLIOTT. 

